Richard Renaldi Photographs Strangers Uncomfortably Touching Each Other on the Street (Video)

Andrew LaSane is a freelance writer from South Carolina who currently resides in Brooklyn. He spends most of his life connected to the grid, obsessing over and customizing sneakers, and trying to relive the '90s.

New York-based photographer Richard Renaldi approached strangers around the country and persuaded them to pose for photographs together. The catch was that the subjects had to touch one another minutes after meeting for the first time. The idea doesn't seem that strange when you consider most professional models don't know one another before a shoot. On the other hand, normal people are not professional models, and the thought of touching some of the people we pass on the street everyday is enough to make us reach for hand sanitizer.

Renaldi pays special attention to the neighborhoods and people that he wants for his photos, choosing pairings that will make for compelling interactions or that will produce photos that seem completely organic and familiar. There is a Kickstarter underway to fund a photobook of some of the photos from this "Touching Strangers" series. Check out the introduction video below and consider supporting the project: